Filmed during the 18th edition of the Verbier Festival, Martin Helmchen presents a program of Bach, Liszt and Beethoven that highlights the adaptability of his technique. From the incessant rhythm of a Bach dance to the filigree of Liszt's virtuosic showpieces, Helmchen 'connects seriousness and wistfulness with success', drawing the audience in through his expressive playing and gesture.

BBC Music Magazine, December 2012He penetrates [the Bach's] counterpoint with a cleansing unmannered beauty - wonderful food for both heart and mind. The focused purity of his artistry - no behavioural frills, no interpretative kinks - finds its match in the film's simple camerawork... [The Hammerklavier] is judiciously paced, ringingly assertive when the composer demands it, weighted with sorrow in the middle.